Curriculum

• 

  Cooperative (co-supervised)
  degree program

  Eligibility

  M.S. & Ph.D Students

  Number of students

  ~ 5 students/year from JP/GH

  Content

  • Online/in-person lectures, seminars
  • Lab. stays
  • Co-supervision of MS/PhD thesis
  • Online Degree Presentation

  ※Non-degree (course registration)Students：Certificates of completion issued per course

  Cooperative (co-supervised)
  degree program
• 

  Short-term
  Exchange Program

  Eligibility

  (Primarily) Undergrad. Students

  Number of students

  ~ 8 students/year from JP/GH

  Content

  • Fieldwork
  • Group discussions
  • Exchange events, etc.

  Short-term
  Exchange Program
• 

  Faculty and Staff Training

  Eligibility

  Young faculty, administrative staff

  Number of participants

  A few / year from JP/GH

  Content

  • School visit
  • Info. exchange regarding
    administrative systems
  • Online training

  Faculty and Staff Training

Cooperative (co-supervised) degree program

The program also aims to cultivate advanced expertise in environmental management and public health, along with collaborative skills within local communities, thereby producing students who will spearhead the realization of SWGs. Graduates will be awarded a program completion certificate.

Compulsory Subjects

01

Introduction to Environment and SWGs (1Credit)

Students will learn about challenges in African river basins and the shared visions to be achieved, from perspectives including environmental science, public health, economics, information science, and sociology. Through comparisons with Japan, the course aims to deepen understanding of regional uniqueness and diversity. This course will be conducted online, and students will participate from their home countries.

02

SWGs Social Design (1Credit)

This course aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to observe current situations from an international perspective, identify issues, and collaboratively design pathways for implementing solutions in society. International student groups will engage in active-learning discussions, group work, and presentations to cultivate collaboration skills that go beyond basic communication.

03

SWGs Practical Workshop (1Credit)

This course aims to enable students to put their ideas for realization of SWGs into practice through overseas training while strengthening collaborative skills and taking on the challenge of planning and implementation. International student groups will conduct fieldwork during their stay abroad. Using skills acquired in the foundation and applied courses, they will develop concrete strategies for solving real-world problems and creating implementation pathways.

04

Thesis Supervision and Examination

Students will write their thesis based on the academic knowledge and skills acquired in this program. Through supervision - provided online by a group of advisors consisting of two faculty members from Japan and two from the University of Ghana - students will consolidate their learning. A group discussion will be held once per semester. The final thesis examination will be conducted online to evaluate whether the student meets the program’s educational goals. In addition, an online thesis presentation session will allow students and faculty from both sides to share student progress and program outcomes .

Elective Subject

Internship

Students may undertake an internship in to strengthen co-creation and implementation skills through practical experience and collaborative work. Potential host organizations include public agencies and research institutes (e.g., Ghana Health Service), local subsidiaries of Japanese companies (e.g., food/agriculture-related or medical/health-related industries), and local NGOs. Specific internship placements will be secured in collaboration with Kitasato University. This course is elective and primarily intended for doctoral students.

Supplemental Activity

Labo. Stay

To coincide with the periods when Ghanaian students travel to Japan for the applied/advanced course and Japanese students travel to Ghana for the practical course, short-term laboratory stays (1–6 months) will be arranged. Ghanaian students will join research laboratories of Japanese faculty members to gain exposure to cutting-edge research in environmental management (e.g., wastewater epidemiology, AI-based flood risk assessment, hydrogen-based water treatment, energy recovery in sewage systems ). Japanese students will work with University of Ghana laboratory students on field surveys related to water pollution, waste management, and the socioeconomic contexts behind these issues. Host-country program students will serve as tutors to promote interaction and mutual understanding.

Non-degree Participants

Course-only Students

Master’s or doctoral students at University of Yamanashi, Kitasato University, or the University of Ghana who do not intend to obtain a degree through this program may enroll in individual courses. Students who successfully complete coursework will receive a certificate of completion.

Short-term Exchange Program

A short-term training program (approximately 1–2 weeks) will be implemented, mainly targeting undergraduate students. During the stay, participants will engage in site visits, laboratory visits, and exchange events, in coordination with the “SWGs Practical Workshop” and “Labo. Stay” components of the Cooperative (co-supervised) degree program. Japanese participating students will strengthen their independent and collaborative learning through this program while increasing their awareness and interest in pursuing graduate studies to acquire advanced knowledge and skills. Ghanaian students will gain exposure to Japan's history of environmental research, environmental technology, and infectious disease eradication. Through interaction and shared experiences with Japanese students, they will also heighten their interest in studying in Japan.

Faculty and Staff Training

To further strengthen and sustain collaboration with the University of Ghana and to establish a foundation for expanding high-level international education programs in African countries, a hybrid training program (online and reciprocal in-person training) will be conducted for faculty and staff of the University of Yamanashi and the University of Ghana.
In the online component, the course “SWGs Social Design” (lecture videos, on-demand) will enable participants to observe the current status of university education, research, and management from an international perspective, understand existing challenges, and acquire skills and know how for implementing solutions. The reciprocal in-person training will foster strong communication and collaboration skills as well as planning and operational capabilities through group work and related activities, thereby contributing to university-wide internationalization.